Do you come back from holiday looking better or worse?

[TheOGCCL]

For me, I think its worse. I can't take the full extent of all my lotions and potions - skin, body and hair products. I tend to be more prone to spots. The different water seems to do something to my hair. My skin seems to get dryer (again maybe the water). And I don't have my perfect home light/magnifying mirror set up to see unruly chin and eyebrow hairs.

It took me a good few days with masks and moisturisers to get my skin back on track after a recent European trip.

Depends where we go and what we do, weekend in a tent a festival I look awful when I get back but a week relaxing in the sun and I come back feeling and looking better!

Btw I take my lotions and potions with me!

Yeah I come back exhausted and looking terrible op. We only travel with handluggage so I can't take much with me. Plus I always overeat and drink too much.

My hair needs to be de-frizzed usually as I don’t bother with straighteners and the hairdryers are usually rubbish.

my face is usually a lot less tired. I may have more pep in my step. And I tend to eat well, and properly, so I am less prone to breakouts than normal.

My skin, it depends. If it’s been hot and sunny, I may be burned. I have travel sizes of most important things for me - and often I only get time to use masks/lotions when on holidays. So apart from my chin (depending whether I’ve remembered my travelling magnifying mirror and tweezers), it often looks better.

Better. Rested. But I go on holidays where I can look after myself.

This is interesting, I have just got back from a holiday a few weeks ago…..whilst on holiday I looked dreadful, fake tan came off from chlorine in pool within a day so I was very pale with some extra freckles and some pink bits/ strap marks as I don’t tan really but I am vigilant with sun cream so get a very light tan on my shoulders and arms but legs never change colour. I was covered in bites including two on my face so my eyebrow was all swollen and weird. I was generally red faced and sweating and my hair was frizzy and crazy as was too hot to style it.
I used my usual skin care but did not tweeze chin hairs until home, so I would say on holiday I looked dreadful, but with a layer of fake tan on at home, my nails and lashes are still looking good, and still using some nice glowy makeup I bought for holiday and with the extra rest and relaxation I actually look better now so I have benefitted from the holiday !

Probably the same. I don't use any skincare anyway and sometimes more sunshine makes my rosacea better, sometimes worse so could go either way.

One year I thought I'd packed shampoo and conditioner and couldn't work out why my hair felt so dry and weird when it was wet. Turned out I had packed two different shampoos. Still don't think it looked any different though, was just weird feeling and harder to brush through.

I look better, I wear less make up in hot weather so skin has a chance to breath, tan easily, hair gets a nice golden tone to it. My hair always looks better, but then I live in a really hard water area.

Great thread!

I have very good hair and skin so that’s ok but I’m more than a stone overweight and tend to overindulge in food and wine when it’s readily available, so I return a few pounds heavier from “pool” holidays. City breaks, not so much because although I’m still greedy at meal times, we do a lot of walking and no snacking/day drinking.

Looking worse most of the time, but feeling much much better and happier. And that's more important to me.

We don't do beach holidays, but very active, sightseeing ones, as that's what we like. So it's always on the go, not restful (but fun and interesting). I don't drink enough water on holidays, eat more than at home, don't sleep enough. So that makes me look worse. But a few days of an usual routine gets me back on track looks-wise.

People always say I look better - which I take to mean less tired!

Generally worse as I mostly travel to dive. The sea, sun and wetsuits leave me with dry hair and skin and a weird tennis player tan if I’ve been wearing a shortie wetsuit! I try and time my hair appointments for just after I get back so my very patient stylist can reverse the worst damage!

Probably better. But I'm very low maintenance- and a light tan hides a multitude of sins...

Worse - I eat and drink far too much!

I don't know, but I feel better!

What is it with the chin hairs? I’m late 60s and don’t get these. I’m going to inspect myself now but I don’t think I’ve missed anything.

I’d guess roughly the same but with a tan!
Maybe a pound or two heavier but who’s counting?
I go absolutely minimal on holiday, I’m quite minimal at home but on holiday it’s stripped even more back. No hair styling products or tools come with me, no skincare other than a moisturiser, cleanser and some kind of face spritz (of course face spf!) that’s all I take. No make up at all.
And I love being on holiday so tend to come back relaxed and happy with a tan

Probably a tiny bit worse or the same.

I think I used to return from holiday looking better when I younger and sillier and used to sunbathe.

I look worse but feel better.

I can easily gain 7lbs in a fortnight, and I come back considerably whiter than I leave as my spray tan is long gone and I never expose any bit of me to the sun.